Continuum (Syfy, Monday, Jan. 14)Canadian series set in Vancouver 2077, a group of eight terrorists known as Liber8 (oh, clever, yeah) escape execution by traveling back in time to 2012 along with one LEO who must track them down. At least it shows SyFy is still trying.

The Following (Fox, Monday, Jan. 21)This is THE one I want to see. I'll just copy TV Guide's description: "This scary, blood-pumping thriller stars Kevin Bacon as retired FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who's called back to the force when Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a college professor-turned-serial killer Hardy helped put in prison, escapes and begins killing again. The problem-slash-premise of the series? While in jail, Carroll has recruited a legion of followers in the outside world who begin committing copycat crimes to coincide with his escape. Seriously: Don't watch this one alone."

Monday Mornings (TNT, Monday, Feb. 4)Another medical drama, but one that might be worth watching because of the people involved. A David E. Kelley production, it stars Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, and Jamie Bamber (Apollo on BSG).

Yep, The Following is definitely the one that stands out. Buzz about that show started months ago.

There's one other show that might strike sparks. Remember the BBC show House of Cards with Ian Richardson as the deliciously wicked politician Francis Urquhart? It's been remade in an American setting, with Kevin Spacey playing a corrupt congressman named Francis/Frank Underwood. An interesting twist is that it will be avaiable only online -- at Netflix. Starting date is Feb. 1st.

No, of course it won't be as good as the original; remakes never are. Reminds me of a line in the movie The Odd Couple. Walter Matthau was holding a note left for him by his housemate, and he said it took him 20 minutes to figure out the signature "FU" stood for "Felix Unger".

Did anyone watch Cinemax's new series Banshee? The premise sounded good, but I couldn't work up any real interest in it. Tony Soprano was a far worse person than Banshee's bad guy hero, but at least he kept you interested.

Frankly, I've had my fill of unshaven leading men, and this one's no different. Going unshaven doesn't make him look cool or tough or however it's supposed to make him look. It just makes him look scruffy.

Ha. Banshee looks like a soup mix of everything TV audiences are supposed to want in a show -- sex, violence, rough language, moral ambiguity, crime, fast action, and what passes for cynicism (but isn't very believable). Real tough, see. The original premise does indeed have promise, but the execution is more like throwing everything at the viewers to see what sticks.